Legacy
by TheUchiha'sLegacy
Summary: When an imminent threat rises up from deep beneath Seireitei, four legends, all on opposite sides, rise up to become the saviors of Soul Society. The Dark Era of the Rikudou Sennin. The Rise of the Fallen Empire. This is their story. [Darker Naruto, no pairings, an alliance between the Akatsuki and the Espada].
1. Journey to Seireitei

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto and Bleach. Obviously.

Get ready to read a bunch of crap. It's just to get everything out of the way.

**Author's Note:** This is a purely Naruto-centric fanfic that features a much more dark and serious Naruto. It'll also feature Sasuke, Ichigo, and Pain (or the Akatsuki) as main side-characters later on in the story. I've also taken some stuff from my other two Naruto and Bleach crossover stories and incorporated it into my story, so some parts might be repeats of some of the chapters from my other story.

Also, in this story, Nagato will just be Yahiko. It sounds weird I know, but Nagato just being the Deva Path will work much better for this story than Nagato, so I'll be writing it that way.

**Most importantly, this is a kind of a spin-off from my other story "The Wandering Shinobi," so if you're already reading that, then I would honestly recommend not reading this story until past the first three chapters or so.** That is, unless you wanna read it from a Naruto-centric point-of-view, then feel free to go ahead and read it.

**Information:**

- Kurama's Influence basically means Naruto using Kurama's chakra.

**Chapter 1: Journey to Seireitei**

_"Dying like trash… never ending hatred… pain that never heals… that is war… Naruto… this… is what you must face… The book… and you… It's like… someone… set this all up… Or… maybe… this… is… the hand of the real God… My role is over now… Naruto… you… can really—."_

_- Pain_

|Southern Wasteland, Soul Society|

A single figure trekked across the desert wasteland, fighting against the powerful gusts of wind that occasionally blew throughout the area. The figure was wrapped in a ragged tan cloak along with a matching head scarf which completely covered his face save his piercing blue eyes; the ends of his blonde bangs were also visible beneath the makeshift scarf. The only item that he carried has a sheathed katana. The katana had a tsuba which was shaped like a spiked whirlpool, and it had a dark orange hilt that had black diamond patterns on it.

The gusts of wind blew sand along with it which pelted the figure brutally, and you could a light scoff from underneath the hood as the figure's eyes narrowed. As he continued onwards, he blinked as a deep and rumbling voice spoke from inside his mind.

_"It's getting late."_

The blonde figure closed his eyes as he entered the palace of his mind. When he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting on the nose of a gigantic orange nine-tailed fox. _"Yea, I know."_

_"If you don't find a place to rest soon, you'll be stuck out here for who knows how long,"_ growled the fox. _"You better hurry. The sandstorm's better thicker by the minute. It'll probably thicken to the point where you won't be able to see anything at all."_

_"Ah… Sure thing."_ Closing his eyes once more, he reopened them as he left the landscape of his mind. Looking around, he spotted a small cliff-like structure towards his right and grinned from behind his scarf. _It looks like there's a cliff up ahead,_ he thought to himself. _I better get going._

…As the figure reached the cave, he noticed that it was unbelievably spacious but completely empty. _Hm… This should do._ His eyes wandering around the cave, he found a suitable spot near the corner around thirty feet away and nodded in satisfaction. Loosening the scarf that was wrapped around his mouth, he completely unwrapped the scarf around his head to reveal a fairly ruggedly attractive face. He also had distinctive whisker marks on both cheeks, and sharp canines that resembled fangs.

"That's much better," he said as he took in a deep breath. "I felt like I was suffocating underneath that scarf." Looking around, he unfastened the katana from his side and laid it on the ground beside him. "Now…" Closing his eyes, he unsheathed his katana and held it out in front of him as he sat down on the ground.

As he entered his mind, he could feel a cool breeze fluttering around him, telling him that he was no longer in the cave that he was just at a moment ago.

_The activation of one's Zanpakuto… Coming into contact with your soul and embedding the very essence of it into your Asauchi, and once you do so, the next step is to come into contact with the spirit inside of the Asauchi and subdue its' spirit… **That's** what's called Shikai._ His eyes slowly opening, he found himself looking at the same gigantic fox spirit that he had talked to inside of his mind earlier that day. The landscape surrounding him was a plain yet spacious room that seemed to be built from stone. It was very rusty and old-fashioned.

"So… Kurama."

"Naruto…" The fox growled as it looked down at the blonde figure. It stood over fifteen stories high above his master, so gigantic that even one of its claws stood taller than him. "Are you ready?"

"Ah…" Slowly getting up, Naruto sighed as he pointed the tip of his Zanpakuto at Kurama. "Let's get going."

|Deputy Official Chamber Two, Seireitei, Soul Society|

**"Calling all vice-captains! Calling all vice-captains! All vice-captains are to report to Deputy Official Chamber Two! I repeat- all vice-captains are to report to Deputy Official Chamber Two!"**

_… It had been three days since five ryoka had tried to infiltrate Seireitei through the White Road Gate located in West Rukongai region. With the help of the gatekeeper, Ikkanzaka Jidanbo, they were able to get the gate open, but they were soon stopped by the 3rd Division's captain, Ichimaru Gin._

_Three days after their foiled plan, Seireitei had announced that the five ryoka had broken into Seireitei by breaking through the barrier that surrounded it, and emergency captain and vice-captain meetings were called immediately to discuss this issue…_

Five hours later, a red-haired figure and another figure with short black hair strolled down a catwalk together, conversing as they went.

"This is my first time you know…" The red-haired figure tugged at the white sash around his left arm. "That is, wearing my adjutant insignia…"

"Che!" The figure next to him yawned. "'Course it is. It's my first time too since it was made mandatory. 'All vice-captains, put on your adjutant insignias and report to Deputy Official Chamber Two,' huh?"

They both stopped in front of a door, and the red-haired figure slid the door open to reveal a fairly short female sitting on the floor in deep thought. She had kind brown eyes, and her brown hair was tied into a bun at the end.

She looked up as the two figures as they entered the room. "Abarai-kun! Iba-san!"

"Hinamori?" The red-haired figure looked down at the girl. "No one but you here?" He sighed as he looked around the mostly empty room.

"Looks that way," she answered.

Hinamori and the others turned around as they heard an exasperated sigh behind them. A very busty orange-haired female was standing in the doorway with a bored look on her face. "It's because the vice-captains are always scattered through Soul Society like busy bees," she said as she walked into the room. "It'll probably take at least half a day for them to all gather here."

She sighed again as she passed the three of them. "I think that I'm gonna go and get a drink… Do any of you guys want any? Hinamori? Renji? Iba-san?"

"No thanks," answered Renji and Iba.

"I'm fine; thanks, Rangiku-san," answered Hinamori, giving her a small smile.

Renji blinked as she walked into the other room and turned to Iba, the short black-haired man next to him. "Say, Iba-san… Who's Rangiku-san's captain again?"

Iba took of the sunglasses that he always wore and polished them with the hem of his uniform before putting them back again. "Hmmm…" He scratched his chin as he thought about it. "Hitsugaya-taichou?" he suggested.

Renji snapped his fingers. "That's right! That know-it-all stuck-up genius."

"Shh!" hissed Iba suddenly. "It looks like Chojiro-san is here. The meeting's about to start. Let's go."

|District #15, West Rukongai, Soul Society|

_One week later…_

Naruto stopped by a nearby inn at the first district that he had come across in West Rukongai. Exhausted from the week's events- that is, training with his Zanpakuto, all he wanted to do was rest for at least a little while before continuing onwards.

As he entered the inn, he automatically noticed the whole entire place becoming deathly quiet as he stepped into the room. Walking over to a nearby table, he unwrapped the makeshift scarf that was wound across his head and quietly breathed in the refreshing air of the inn. The inn began to come back to life after a brief moment, but Naruto was fully aware of everything that was going on in the room.

"C-Can I take your order sir?"

Naruto looked up to see a timid-looking waitress standing in front of his table, a menu in her hand. As he accepted the menu from her, he looked over it briefly before handing it back to her.

"I'll take a bowl of mixed rice and just plain green tea, thanks."

Nodding, the waitress gave Naruto a shy smile and walked towards the back room of the inn. As soon as she left, Naruto turned his attention to a table where two men were discussing something that seemed very interesting.

…"So, did you hear? Apparently the ryoka that managed to get into Soul Society broke into Seireitei not too long ago!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! You never know who's listening! Since we don't know what the ryoka look like, they could be anywhere! Even here!"

Sasuke frowned as he listened in on the conversation from the table across from him. _Ryoka? So it's true after all- I thought that those were just rumors, but to think that they were actually true…_ He noticed a group of what seemed like thugs and bandits staring at him and snickering, but he decided to ignore them as he turned his focus back to the conversation.

…"Yea, well I heard that one of them _stole_ Kuchiki-sama's Shinigami powers!" said the first male in a loud whisper.

"What?!" The second male crinkled his nose at this as if he had just heard a child say something unbelievable. "No way! How the hell could he _steal_ a Shinigami's power- especially Kuchiki-sama's?"

"Don't ask me," replied his friend. "I'm just telling you what I heard! Apparently Kuchiki Byakuya-sama killed off the human, but somehow he managed to stay alive! That's why he's here! I bet he's going to get revenge on Kuchiki Byakuya-sama for having tried to kill him!"

"What?! No way!" repeated the second male. "Don't be such a dunce, moron! Even if he _did_ somehow survive his meeting with him, there's no way that he could defeat Kuchiki Byakuya-sama!"

The first male frowned as he thought about this. "Well, I guess you're right…" he relented finally, scratching the back of his head in confusion and frustration.

…

_How interesting…_ Naruto looked up as the waitress from earlier brought over his bowl of mixed rice and green tea, and graciously accepting them, he dug his spoon into his bowl and started to eat.

…

After he finished meal, he left the money for the food as well as a generous tip for the waitress on the table and walked out of the inn. As soon as he stepped outside, however, he noticed the group of thugs from earlier following him as he walked into a nearby alley.

Stopping in the middle of the alley, Naruto turned his head to see ten thugs standing behind them, all sorts of weapons in their hands. "What do you guys want…?" asked Naruto in a soft yet dangerous voice. "I'm not in a mood to joke around right now… I _really_ encourage you guys to walk away right now."

"_Oh_?" A fairly large thug holding a spiked wooden club grinned as he took a step forward. "Looks like we have a tough fish to catch this morning boys. Well then…" Leaning forward, he bent his head and charged at Naruto like a rhino. "Let's get him!"

The excited yells of the other thugs rang throughout the alley. "Yea, let's go!"

"Let's get him!"

"Kick his ass!"

Sighing out loud, Naruto unsheathed his Zanpakuto halfway from its sheath as he braced himself for the incoming attack. _One… Two… Three…!_ Spinning around, he slammed the end of the hilt into the head thug's stomach, instantly knocking him out. Almost instantaneously, he leapt back and slammed his foot into another thug's face, sending him flying into another thug.

"Why you piece of shit!" yelled another thug as he charged at Naruto. Swinging his dagger at him in an attempt to slice his arm, he suddenly went flying back as Naruto elbowed him straight in the face, breaking his nose in the process.

Spotting a blonde-haired thug creeping up behind him, Naruto leapt up into the air and dodged a swing from the thug's wooden club. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he sped forward and backhanded the thug right in the face, sending him flying over three feet away.

"Get real," spat Naruto as he faced the remaining six thugs. "You guys aren't even worth fighting seriously with." Sheathing the unsheathed half of his blade, he rolled his neck as he shook his arms to loosen them. "Ok, check this out."

The thugs stepped back in surprise as Naruto suddenly appeared in front of them, having used flash step to catch them by surprise. Unable to react in time, the thugs could only remain surprised as Naruto quickly took all six of them out with quick and successful punches and elbows to the face and stomach. It only took a couple of seconds until Naruto stood over the fallen thugs, an unreadable look on his face.

A groan emerged from the head thug from earlier, but as he struggled to get up, Naruto walked over to him until he was standing directly over him. Leaning forward, he grabbed the thug by the front of his shirt and yanked him up so that they were face-to-face.

"P-Please," stuttered the thug. "H-Have mercy, p-please!"

"Let me just ask you one thing," said Naruto in a low and malicious voice. "What do you know about the ryoka?"

"Th-The ryoka?" The thug seemed genuinely surprised by this question. "Wh-What do you wanna k-know about them?"

Naruto gave him a feral grin, showing off his pointed canines. "Well, let's say that I'm pretty bored. I heard about them, and I became a little bit curious. So, about the ryoka."

"W-Well, all I know is that they infiltrated Seireitei just a few days ago," began the thug. "I heard they broke i-into Seireitei using West Rukongai as their base, and they've already been able to fight par-on-par w-with the Gotei 13."

"Oh?" Naruto seemed amused by this. "The Gotei 13 Shinigami must be slacking off if they let a couple of ryoka stir up so much trouble." Letting the thug go, Naruto looked down at the thug as a sinister expression suddenly appeared on his face. The thug gulped nervously as a bead of sweat rolled down his face, and his hands started to tremble as he tried to back away.

"P-Please, I-I told y-you everything that I k-know!"

"You're right… You did." As if he was suddenly relenting, Naruto turned his gaze away from the thug and stepped over him, walking out of the alley and leaving the thug alone with his unconscious partners. "Follow me again, and I'll make sure to kill you off."

…

As he stepped out from the alley, he noted a distant structure that seemed to tower above the far-away districts of Rukongai. _So **that's** Seireitei, huh…?_

_"Why so interested in Seireitei, Naruto?"_

Naruto closed his eyes as he tapped into his consciousness. _"Kurama, huh? Well, why do you think? The ryoka situation seems pretty interesting, and even though I have no ties to the Gotei 13, Soul Society is my home… I'll protect it any way you put it."_

_"But that's not all," _growled Kurama._ "What's the other reason? Don't lie to me, Naruto…"_

Naruto seemed to be amused by this, but his voice remained even as he answered. _"Alright… Something's definitely leading me there, and I know that you can feel it too, am I right?"_ When Kurama didn't answer, Naruto continued. _"Anyways, I'm going there whether you like it or not. Who knows? I might be able to get some answers as to who I was before all of this once I get there."_

|White Road Gate, West Rukongai, Soul Society|

_Five days later…_

"So…" Naruto looked around the outskirts of district #1 as he arrived at the western gate of Seireitei. "This is Seireitei, huh? An impressive structure." As he took a step forward, he was stopped by a loud rumbling noise which came from the distance.

"Hold it right there!" roared a booming voice. "I'm Jidanbo, the guardian of the White Road Gate! What do you think you're doing here?!"

Naruto didn't even blink as he turned to see an enormous giant thumping across the plain. "Huh… So he's one of the legendary guardians of the four gates… He doesn't look like much."

_"Be careful, Naruto,"_ warned Kurama with a growl. _"You could easily defeat him, but his strength is almost equal to your own. Be wary."_

_"Yea… I know."_ Naruto tapped the hilt of his Zanpakuto as he walked over to Jidanbo, who skidded to a halt just a foot away from Naruto. "So, Jidanbo, was it?" When Naruto looked up at the giant, Jidanbo's eyes widened in shock to see Naruto's eyes full of murderous intent, his eyes flaring with untamed orange-red reiatsu.

"Wh-What the-…!"

"Let me pass," ordered Naruto with a low rumbling voice. "I don't have the patience… to deal with people like you."

"S-So you have a short temper, huh?!" laughed Jidanbo nervously. As grabbed both axes from the belt on his side, he charged at Naruto with a wild look appearing in his eyes. "Well then, try this on for size! Ten-Thousand Buffalo-Red Strikes Festival!" With a loud roar, he slammed both axes down on Naruto simultaneously.

THUD! The ground seemed to explode from the impact as Naruto dodged the attack. "H-How did you dodge my attack?!" asked Jidanbo with a dramatic yell. "I-Impossible…!"

As Naruto reappeared by Jidanbo's side, he glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, his eyes dark red due to Kurama's Influence. "I told you… that I didn't have to patience to deal with people like you." With a low growl, Naruto backhanded Jidanbo with monstrous force, sending his gigantic figure flying back over two feet.

"Ugh…" Jidanbo rubbed his head as he struggled to get up from the attack. "Unbelievable strength… Wh-What?!" His eyes grew wide as he saw Naruto standing on top of his chest. "Y-You win," he finally relented. "As a defeated gate guardian, I'll open the gate for you."

"That's much better," grinned Naruto, showing off his pointed canines. "Now, tell me what you know about the ryoka situation."

|Captain's Council, Seireitei, Soul Society|

In the Captain's Council were twelve captains standing in two lines of six, an elderly Shinigami sitting at the head of the group. It was him that was currently speaking.

"We cannot allow the ryoka to do as they please and stir up trouble in Seireitei. Therefore, the restriction on releasing one's Zanpakuto is temporarily nullified! This is a Code One Alert, and-!" He was suddenly stopped by the sound of someone pounding on the door.

"Soutaichou-dono! We have a Code Three Alert coming from the west of Seireitei!"

The other twelve captains turned to look at the door, taken by surprise at the sudden interruption. A petite female captain with her hair worn in two long braids standing on the right, however, seemed both surprised and annoyed at this. "What is it?! Can't you see we're in the middle of a meeting here?! Hurry up and speak your piece you fool!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" stuttered the voice behind the door. "We have reports of a person having broken into Seireitei through the White Road Gate! According to Jidanbo, the person was a blonde male with incredible reiatsu!"

"What?!" The female captain from earlier spun around to face the head captain at the front. "Soutaichou, could it be-?!"

"Another ryoka?" finished the soutaichou. "It could indeed…" Frowning, he mused over what to do for a few seconds before continuing. "Soifon-taichou. You and Omaeda-fukutaichou are to find this other ryoka and dispose of him accordingly! If you should happen across any of the other ryoka, take precaution and handle them as well; remember, however, that one of them was able to almost go head-to-head with Zaraki-taichou."

"Heh!" Soifon scoffed at this as if it was some kind of joke. "That fool Omaeda won't be able to handle anyone of their caliber. I'll handle these scum myself."

_Meanwhile…_

Naruto ducked as he leapt over a railing, narrowly avoiding a pipe as it whistled over his head. Jumping onto his hand, he executed a backflip and landed on the other side of another system of pipes which stretched out over five feet.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he passed as he sensed something coming closer and closer to him. _It looks like I've been spotted… I expected as much._ Sighing tiredly, he grabbed the hilt of his sword as he turned to face the direction that the two sources of reiatsu were coming from. _Judging by the reiatsu, they're strong… The weaker one isn't worth mentioning, but the other one… His reiryoku almost matches mine…_

…

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise a blur of black and white flickered into view in front of him, another blur of black appearing right behind her a few seconds later. _So fast!_ He became even more surprised to see that the huge source of reiatsu was a fairly petite female of average height. **_She's_**_ the…? That haori… She's a captain…?_

"So you're the ryoka, huh?" grinned Soifon. "Tasty reiatsu… At least give me a challenge, ryoka. I haven't been able to find an opponent to fight against as that monster Zaraki Kenpachi stole all of them…" Looking behind her, she glanced at her vice-captain Omaeda, a fairly unattractive and meaty male. "Omaeda… Get out of here if you don't want to die."

"_What_?!" The vice-captain screamed dramatically in horror as if his captain had just suggested something completely ridiculous. "Th-There's no way that I could leave you with this guy all by yourself, captain! Let me take care of him!" Having said that, he clumsily grabbed his Zanpakuto and yanked it out of its sheath. "I'll take him out by myself!" he roared as he charged at Naruto.

THUD! Omaeda yelled out as he went flying over ten feet away from a square kick to his chest by Naruto. Stumbling over the edge of the roof, he let out a girly scream as he plummeted over the edge and into the ground below.

"A pathetic excuse for a vice-captain," said Naruto, laughing quietly to himself at Omaeda's foolishness. "I heard about the 1st generation of the Gotei 13… Their captains used to be at level far beyond the current group of captain's, and their vice-captains were almost at the level of you guys."

"You sure like to talk a lot, ryoka," scoffed Soifon as she ignored his last remark. Rolling her neck, she cracked her knuckles as she started walking towards him. "I'll teach you some manners, trash. The last thing that you'll see in this life is my face, so remember it well!" Using flash step to flicker out of sight, she reappeared behind Naruto in an instant, catching him by surprise.

_She's too fast for me to handle!_ thought Naruto as he spun around. He was barely able to raise his arms in time to block her fast attack, her foot slamming into his arms and sending him flying into a large water drum which stood over ten feet away from them.

Balancing himself in mid-air, he used his feet to propel himself off of the water drum and go speeding towards a mildly surprised Soifon. As they clashed together and started engaging in Hakuda, Naruto frowned as they exchanged punches and kicks.

_This is strange… I've never fought against something of this woman's caliber, and yet… I feel as if this kind of combat of is something old and familiar… Could it have something to do with who I once was…?_ Ducking in order to avoid a roundhouse kick from Soifon, Naruto managed to trap her leg with his own and land an upwards kick on Soifon's jaw, sending her flying into the air.

_Now!_ Using flash step to appear above her, Naruto spun around violently in mid-air and slammed his foot into her stomach, causing her to cry out in pain as she went crashing into the roof below. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Naruto unsheathed his Zanpakuto and walked towards her. _She's toying with me… She's definitely trying to get a read on my movements and fighting style…_ "There's no way someone of your caliber could fall for an attack that old," said Naruto out loud. "Even a moron like me knows that. Did you get all the intel on me that you were looking for, or do you wanna go another round?"

As Soifon slowly got up, Naruto noted the murderous grin on her face. "So, you got," chuckled Soifon as she straightened up. "Very well then, here's what I've figured out." Taking a deep breath, she let it out right after as she leisurely unsheathed her Zanpakuto that was strapped to her back. "You're definitely strong. Your Hakuda skills are impressive, and I can already tell that your combat level is of the highest rank. I don't know who you were before all of this, but you were strong. Very strong. Still…" Raising her blade in front of her face, she gave him an even wider grin. "This is the end of the line… for you that is."

…

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

Waving her Zanpakuto out by her side gracefully, her Zanpakuto began to glow as it shrunk down to become a black and gold gauntlet which had a small chain linking a stinger-like blade on Soifon's middle finger.

"It's over, ryoka."

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he held his Zanpakuto out by his side. "An interesting Zanpakuto if I ever saw one… We're both opponents seeking the thrill of battle… Be careful…"

"…of me."

…

"Bleed… Sakende Ikari."

* * *

**So, thoughts? If you liked or disliked anything, please let me know as I accept all forms of non-flame or biased criticism. Thanks.**

**Translations:**

- **Sakende Ikari: Screaming Anger. (Applying to Naruto's dark side).**

- **Soutaichou: Head Captain.**

- **Taichou: Captain.**

- **Fukutaichou: Vice-captain.**

- **Suzumebachi: Hornet.**

**Follow, favorite, and review.**


	2. Invitation to the Foundation

**Disclaimer:** The same as always.

**Chapter 2: Invitation to the Foundation**

"_Emotions lead one to hate… and hate leads one to conflict and war…"_

_- Shimura Danzo_

"Bleed… Sakende Ikari."

The surrounding area began to tremble as Naruto suddenly seemed to be bathed in dark orange-red reiatsu. Once the reiatsu cleared up, Naruto was seen wielding a long triple-bladed claw. The three blades were eight inches long, with the middle one being slightly longer than the other two. The claw itself seemed to be bathed in a dangerous wind-like white reiatsu, and it swirled and screamed as if a devastating tornado had been trapped inside of the claw. The claw was a dangerous sight, but even though Naruto was the enemy, Soifon couldn't help but marveling at the dangerous beauty that lay in front of her eyes.

"Now…" Naruto held his claw out by his side as he shifted his foot back. "Let's go!" Flash stepping in front of her, Naruto swung his claw at her with incredible speed, the three-bladed claw emitting a metallic whistle as it passed in front of her stomach. Soifon skillfully evaded the attack by crouching down and leaping back, and grabbing his arm, she got him in an arm lock and kicked him in the jaw, sending him flying into the air. Naruto grimaced as he looked down at the ground below, and he braced himself for an incoming attack as Soifon flickered into view behind him.

Soifon looked down at her stomach where her clothes were ripped. She realized with mild surprise that Naruto's wind-type Zanpakuto had managed to hit her because of an extended reach. "Don't worry ryoka," reassured Soifon in a dangerously soothing tone. "This will be quick and… painful." Drawing her arm back, she quickly stabbed Naruto in the back once. As Naruto felt a sharp sting, he grimaced in pain as he twisted around to face Soifon. Growling in frustration, he slashes at Soifon, only to miss as she disappeared from view.

Soifon laughed out loud as she and Naruto engaged in an all-out Hakuda fight. "This is all you can do, ryoka?! This fight will be even easier than I thought!" Spinning around in a full circle, she executed a roundhouse kick, catching him by the jaw. As Naruto staggered back, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the tip of the stinger coming towards him. _D-Dammit!_ Swerving to the side, he managed to avoid to the full point of the blade, but the tip still managed to graze his nose, creating a black butterfly pattern which remained imprinted across his nose.

_Wh-What the hell?_ Narrowing his eyes, he glared at Soifon as he tested his claws against a black five-section metal band worn on his wrist. "What's this? What did you do to me?"

"It's my Suzumebachi's special ability," explained Soifon in a mildly smug tone. "Two attacks in the same place anywhere on your body, and my Zanpakuto will secrete a poison into your body, automatically killing you. It's a two-hit fatal attack."

"_You know_," drawled Naruto as he yawned out loud, "I never really understood why you Shinigami always explained your abilities while it's such a big advantage for you guys. Says a lot about your whole entire military system, huh?" Holding the claw in front of his face, Naruto sped forward and started to swing rapidly at a caught-off-guard Soifon. "Now that I know what to go for and avoid, this fight is gonna be a whole lot harder for you!" Spinning around to augment his strength, the back of his claws slammed into Suzumebachi's stinger, sparks flying as the two blades collided with each other.

…As the fight continued on, Naruto found out that it wasn't that easy to back up his words. Even though his strength equal if not surpassed Soifon's own, her speed was too high to keep up with for a long period of time. By the time ten minutes had passed, Naruto was covered in over ten butterfly marks that ranged from his face to his legs.

_Shit…_ thought Naruto to himself as he breathed heavily. _This captain's speed is unbelievable… At this rate…_ "Ok, let's go another round," he said finally. "Let's-."

"Soifon-taichou."

Both Naruto and Soifon spun around in surprise at the sound of the voice that came from behind them. There, standing on the roof of the building that towered around him, was a fairly frail old male who looked to be at least over eight hundred years old. He had shaggy black hair and grey eyes, and he had an x-shaped scar on his chin. He didn't wear the standard Shihakushō that the Shinigami wore; instead, he wore a white shirt with a black robe over it that went all the way down to his feet. He also had a wooden cane which he leaned on, as well as bandages that were wrapped around the right side of his face.

Soifon's eyes narrowed as she took a step forward. "Danzo…"

…

"'Danzo?'" repeated Naruto. "Who's this Danzo guy? He doesn't look like a normal Shinigami…"

Danzo's hidden yet unnerving aura which he carried around with him seemed to lower the tenseness between Naruto and Soifon. "Shimura Danzo," said Soifon quietly. "The leader of the Foundation, a hidden organization set apart from the Gotei 13. They are known to do the dirty work for Seireitei, and as the leader, Danzo has considerable influence in the Gotei 13 and Council 46. He also controls a part of the 2nd Division, which is my division."

"And…?"

"He's dangerous," said Soifon in a whisper. "Be careful of him."

Naruto scoffed lightly at this. "He looks like an old man. How dangerous could he be?"

"You're kidding, right?" scoffed Soifon. "Watch your tone, ryoka. Danzo may not my favorite person, but he's strong… Maybe even stronger than I am." Clearing her throat, she turned her attention back to Danzo. "Danzo… What are you doing here? Does the soutaichou-?"

"Shigekuni doesn't know about what I do, nor does he keep an eye on every one of my movements," explained Danzo in an abrupt tone. "I came for the ryoka… Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened at this. "How do you know my name…?"

"I know a lot more than you might think," said Danzo in a slightly less-abrupt tone. "You have no home, do you? How would you like to join the Foundation?" Giving no time for Naruto to reply, he continued. "You would be working directly for me, and you'd have a home… A place to stay, a place to eat, a place to sleep. A lot better than what you're currently going through right now, is it not?"

_What's this all of a sudden?_ wondered Naruto. "The Foundation, huh…?" Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously as his stance tightened. "Why the sudden invitation though? Seems a bit strange to-."

"You have no right!" exclaimed Soifon angrily as she cut Naruto off. "The soutaichou himself ordered me to dispose of this ryoka! You can't just go and-!"

"I will deal with Shigekuni myself," said Danzo as he cut her off as well. His voice was calm and relaxed despite the situation. "You forget my influence over Council 46. I'm sure that I can persuade them to bend the rules just this once." Having said that, he turned around and started to walk away. "Come with me, Uzumaki Naruto."

…

|The Foundation HQ, Seireitei, Soul Society|

Danzo and Naruto, as well as Soifon, stopped in front of an entrance that most likely led underground. The entrance itself was a pair of black metal double doors, and there were two Shinigami guards wearing white animal masks- a boar and a tiger, standing in front of the entrance. They stood at attention as they caught sight of Danzo.

"Soifon-taichou, I'm afraid that this is where we part paths," said Danzo as he turned to face the captain. "Shigekuni has agreed to the terms that no captain or vice-captain is allowed to set foot in the Foundation headquarters. Please remove yourself from this area right away."

If Soifon had a problem with this, she hid it well. Nodding curtly, she glared at Naruto one last time before spinning around and storming off to who knew where. Danzo turned to the guards and motioned for them to open the door. As the doors creaked open, Danzo didn't even give Naruto a second glance as he entered the underground headquarters, obviously expecting him to follow him.

…As the two entered through the doors, Naruto found himself in a vast underground building, the atmosphere both dark and foreboding. In front of them was what was probably the top floor of the headquarters, and it was basically just a steel walkway that stretched onto the other side of the room. Two more ramps stretched out on either side of the walkway at the middle like a cross, but Danzo and Naruto took the middle all the way to the other side.

"Danzo-sama." The voice belonged to another Foundation member, who suddenly flickered into view in front of them as they finished crossing the walkway. He too wore a mask- a fox one, and unlike the other Shinigami, he wore a black long-sleeved top with a black flak jacket over it as well as matching pants and gloves. He also wore steel metal gauntlets and black ninja sandals.

The long, black-haired figure, who had appeared in front of Danzo on one knee, raised his bowed head as he looked at his leader. "Who is this stranger, Danzo-sama?" he asked in a curious yet flat tone. "He is not a Foundation member, but he's-."

"He is our newest recruit, Izani," replied Danzo bluntly. "I saw great potential in him, and he could be very useful to us later on. I will assess his skills myself, and if he should prove his worth, he is to become a captain after some time."

Izani, the masked figure, looked shocked by Danzo's statement. "A-A captain? So soon, Danzo-sama? The Foundation rules are that if someone shows the potential to become a high-ranked Foundation member, he is to go through strict training held by yourself for at least ten years before being considered for the position. Furthermore, a captain-ranked Foundation member holds even more influence in Seireitei and the Gotei 13 than a vice-captain. Are you sure that this is a wise decision, Danzo-sama?"

"I _am_ the rules," said Danzo in a dangerous tone. "Watch how you speak to your superior, Izani." As Izani's feet shifted as if he was going to reply, Danzo held up a hand. "Still, I understand that you were only stating the rules that I had enforced, and I understand your concern. This boy- Danzo motioned to Naruto- is special. He was able to fight on par with the nibantai-taichou Soifon." Chuckling once quietly, Danzo glanced at Naruto out of the corner of his eyes. "I guess that an assessment is not necessary. Soifon-taichou is one of the fastest Shinigami in the Gotei 14, and she is smart. If you weren't at least the slightest bit intelligent, you would already be dead."

As Naruto bowed his head to receive the compliment, Danzo turned his gaze back to Izani. "Izani, show Naruto to his new barracks. I think that Unit B should suffice for now. Get him his new uniform, and make sure to inform him of the Foundation rules."

"Yes sir!" Izani bowed and stood up to face Naruto. "Let's go," he ordered as he turned around to leave.

Naruto didn't reply as he followed the masked figure closely behind.

As Naruto and Izani walked through the hallway, Izani glanced back at Naruto, obviously having disapproved of Danzo's decision. "Unit B, huh? So you'll be in Team Ro."

"Team Ro? What's that?"

"Team Ro is one of the many ANBU teams of the Foundation. Every team is comprised of four members, each team having a captain each. You must have drawn the short end of the sticks, huh?" Izani seemed to be amused by this, which confused Naruto. "Team Ro's newest member is to be appointed a captain soon, so there is a vacant position that just opened up. That's the spot that you'll be filling in… for now, anyways."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Why do you say that?"

Izani chuckled quietly as he and Naruto passed two ANBU members who glanced curiously at Naruto. "You really must be an outsider if you don't know about Team Ro's captain." Glancing back at Naruto again, he turned back to face the front as he smirked. "Team Ro's captain, Hatake Kakashi… One of the most cold and merciless Shinigami in the Gotei 13… He's a Shinigami who will do anything to complete a mission, even sacrifice his own teammates. He's a Shinigami of the highest degree."

"I see…" Naruto seemed to ponder over this as he glanced up at the ceiling.

Izani stopped as the two of them reached a door with "Unit B" written on the door. "We're here." Turning the doorknob, Izani pushed the door open, and the two entered the room. As they entered, Naruto automatically noticed that the left side of the room resembled a lounge, while the right side of the room was a locker room with showers. Finally, there were three Shinigami standing near the lockers.

The first two figures wore a dark sleeveless blue suit with forest green flak jackets, while the third figure wore a black sleeveless shirt with a black collared flak jacket along with dark blue pants. While the first figures looked "normal" as they both had dark brown hair, the third figure had very unique and unusual spiky white hair along with a dark blue mask that covered his face from the nose down. He also had a headband which had the kanji for "ANBU" on like the other two figures, but his was slanted to the side, covering his left eye, and he carried an unusually intense and dangerous aura that matched Danzo's own. Naruto automatically knew that this figure was Hatake Kakashi, the captain of Team Ro.

"Kakashi-san," Izani began, "this is Uzumaki Naruto, your newest team member. Danzo-sama's direct orders."

When Kakashi spoke, he spoke in a low and emotionless voice. "A new recruit? He must be Itachi's replacement." Stepping forward, he extended out his hand to Naruto, who took it and shook it after a brief moment of hesitation. "I'm Hatake Kakashi, the captain of Team Ro."

"Thanks."

One of the other figures who had short, messy dark brown hair, stepped forward and shook Naruto's hand as well. "I'm Yamato. It's a pleasure." As Yamato stepped back, the other figure stepped forward and did the same. "I'm Ryo."

"Nice to meet you all," said Naruto in a courteous but blunt tone.

"Well then," began Izani, "I'll take my leave." As the door closed behind him, Naruto glanced around the room and at the three ANBU. "So…" Kakashi looked at Naruto curiously through his single watchful eye. "Uzumaki Naruto. Danzo-sama may have let you into the Foundation, but I'll be judging your skills later on… Anyways, first of all, do you have any questions?"

Naruto nodded. "What is the Foundation, and what's your purpose? That nibantai-taichou told me a little about Danzo, but I don't know much else. I'd like to learn a little about the organization I'll be joining."

"An understandable question," replied Kakashi. "I suppose that that's the only question that really matters." There was a long silence as Kakashi looked down at the floor in front of him. He glanced back up at Naruto a few second later. "We're the Foundation, or the ANBU Black Ops. The 2nd Division's primary purpose is stealth and assassination, but since they're one of the Gotei 13's thirteen divisions, they have limits to what they're allowed to do. Our purpose is to perform the dirty work that they cannot. We live in the shadows, separate and secluded from the outside world. We have no names outside of our group, and we have no friends, no allies. Everyone is to be viewed as your enemy, even the Gotei 13." Kakashi paused to take a breather. "Anyways, we _do_ occasionally meet with the Gotei 13 and even attend some of the more urgent captain meetings. Danzo-sama's influence spreads across a vast portion of Seireitei, so we Foundation members have some pull in the Gotei 13."

"No friends… No allies…?" Naruto blinked once as he stared down at the floor. "Everyone… an enemy?" _Is this my life from now on…?_

"As Team Ro is the head of the thirty or so groups of the Foundation's ANBU, you could say that my position is almost equal to that of a captain's… almost," continued Kakashi. "Our last group member, Itachi, was my vice-captain, but since he's no longer here, as his replacement, you are to replace his position if I decide that you're skilled enough."

Naruto nodded in understanding as he switched his gaze from the floor to Kakashi. "Understood." Glancing at his Zanpakuto strapped behind his back, Naruto frowned. "So, what now?"

"First of all, you'll need a new wardrobe," said Kakashi. "The Foundation has a uniform that every member must wear at all times. After that, we'll be heading up to the Captain's Council to meet with the thirteen captains."

Naruto's head shot up, startled by the sudden statement. "What? Why?"

"While all Foundation members' identities are unknown by the Gotei 13, anyone in the rank of "vice-captain" or higher, so to say, are to be taken to the thirteen captains so that the soutaichou can evaluate you. That was the agreement between Danzo-sama and the soutaichou."

"I see…" Naruto's eyes narrowed as his eyes bore into the wall past Kakashi's shoulders. "Very well then."

|Captain's Council, Seireitei, Soul Society|

Naruto looked up at the giant double doors, which had the kanji for "one" written on the door. _So this is the Captain's Council,_ thought Naruto to himself. _I wonder what the Gotei 13 captains are like._ Glancing at Kakashi, who stood on Naruto's right, he nodded as the Team Ro captain gave him a nod.

"Let's go." And with that, Kakashi knocked on the double doors, the loud knocking sound echoing throughout the area. "Hatake Kakashi of Team Ro here with the new recruit, Uzumaki Naruto."

…

"Enter!"

Pushing through the double doors, Naruto and Kakashi entered the Captain's Council… and it was a magnificent view. The presence of the top thirteen Shinigami of all of Seireitei astounded Naruto. Their reiryoku were all on a whole new different level, some captain's reiryoku being higher than others. Still, the person that Naruto focused on the most in the room was the elderly figure seated at the front of the room.

Even though he looked well over two thousand years old, his reiryoku was on an almost incomprehensible level. None of the captain's reiryoku levels came even close to the elderly figure's save one ragged and dangerous-looking tall captain's. Naruto automatically knew that the figure was the soutaichou and that he could dispose of anyone in the room in a split second if he so wished to.

"So…" The soutaichou spoke in a gruff and annoyed voice. "This is Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto stepped forward at Kakashi's nod and gave the soutaichou a small bow, his eyes fixed on the elderly captain's closed eyes. Naruto was now clothed in a black cut-off top with swirling orange patterns on it that made the top resemble a pool of black and orange. He also had on the ANBU's standard black pants as well as a flak jacket that was exactly the same as his top. Naruto wore a black headband with the kanji for "ANBU" on it, just like the other Foundation members. He also had on a fox mask which matched Kakashi's except that his had orange stripes on it instead of blue.

"Masks are forbidden at the Captain's Council for newcomers," Yamamoto said to Naruto. "Remove it at once."

Removing his mask, Naruto stared hard into the eyes of Yamamoto. "So this is your newest recruit, Danzo?" Yamamoto inquired as he stared past Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto's head shot up as he heard a rustling noise behind him. Turning around, he saw that the noise came from Danzo, who had been quietly standing in the shadow of the room. "Shigekuni," began Danzo, "I trust that there are no objections? As I already had explained, Uzumaki Naruto can be a valuable asset if a troublesome issue should arise. He is skilled, so he requires no training. I already spoke to my acquaintances in Council 46, and they have agreed to turn a blind eye to this matter."

"This is ridiculous!" The voice came from the monstrously strong-looking male figure, the juichibantai-taichou, Zaraki Kenpachi. "If you want to see if he's really strong or not, then let him fight me!"

"I believe that such a trashy-looking person like him would fit perfectly with the members of the Foundation," said the rokubantai-taichou, Kuchiki Byakuya. When he spoke, Naruto noticed a hint of contempt in his voice.

"Enough." Yamamoto remained quiet as he thought about this. "All Foundation members are to be recruited from Seireitei and only from within Seireitei," he said finally. "Those are the rules… but as a test, I have a mission for him. If he should succeed, I will allow it this once."

Naruto glanced at Danzo, receiving a nod from him. Turning his gaze back to the soutaichou, Naruto nodded in affirmative.

"Very well then… What's the mission?"

Yamamoto's eyes opened just a crack as he stared into Naruto's ice-blue eyes. "Your mission… is to capture and bring back the ryoka. Any of them will suffice as leverage."

"The ryoka?" Naruto grinned a feral grin, showing off his sharp canines. "Sounds like fun. Just give me three hours, and I'll have them on the ropes."

|Seireitei, Soul Society|

Naruto looked around as he landed on the ground below, carefully studying the landscape for any sign of the ryoka. _Hm… The ryoka were reported to have been in this area not thirty minutes ago. They're definitely around here somewhere…_ Naruto suddenly looked up as he heard a noise behind him.

WOOSH! Naruto bent his head to the right as an arrow comprised of reishi sped past his face, leaving a barely noticeable scratch alongside the right of his mask. Growling, he turned around and glared at a tall and slender male with raven-colored hair and a sleek silver bow in his hand. Naruto's lips spread into a feral grin as he saw the figure. "So… You're one of the ryoka. What's your name?"

"Ishida Uryu," replied the figure as he raised his bow. "Pleasure to meet you. And you are?"

"Sorry, can't tell," said Naruto bluntly. "Anyways, where that other ryoka, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ishida sighed as he kept his reishi arrow pointed straight at Naruto. "Stupid question, my apologies. I guessed that the mask was for such a reason, but I'm not familiar with the rules and adornments of Soul Society. Anyways, onto Kurosaki Ichigo… Where he is is none of your business. Now, I'll-."

"ISHIDA!"

Ishida closed his eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation at the mention of his name. "Kurosaki, you baka…"

Naruto turned to his side as an orange-haired figure landed on the ground fifteen feet away from his spot. "Nice to meet you!" said the figure. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, the guy who's about to kick your ass!"

"Oh?" Naruto grinned in amusement from behind his mask. "So you're my mission?"

"Mission?" echoed Ichigo in a confused tone. "So you're like here to kill me or something?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, not kill. Capture." Gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto on his back, he stared levelly at Ichigo without showing any sign of surprise. _So this __**kid**__ is the ryoka? He looks barely like a teenager, and he has a Zanpakuto?_

"Oh really?" laughed Ichigo. Grabbing his Zanpakuto from his back, he pointed the blade straight at Naruto's heart. "Well then, let's see what you got! I recently defeated a 3rd Seat, so I'm sure that you'll be no problem."

"Be careful, Kurosaki," warned Ishida as he jumped on the ground beside Ichigo. "This guy… his reiatsu is incredible. His reiryoku is _levels_ above any of the guys we're fought up until now."

…

Naruto raised his sword as Ichigo sped towards him, slicing down at him with his oversized Zanpakuto. Even though the strength of the attack caused the ground below them to crack slightly, Naruto easily blocked the attack with one hand, surprising Ichigo and Ishida greatly.

"Don't kid with me!" growled Naruto as he pushed Ichigo away from him with a single arm. "If that's all you got, then this won't even take me ten minutes to finish!" Spinning around, Naruto swung his Zanpakuto at Ichigo with furious wind-whistling speed.

Ichigo raised his Zanpakuto to block the attack, but Naruto's strength was too great. As their blades collided, Ichigo's eyes widened in shock as he went flying over ten feet away from the force of the attack. As he crashed into a nearby set of stairs, Ishida released a volley of arrows that sped towards Naruto.

Naruto saw the arrows out of the corner of his eyes and quickly flash stepped away just in time, the arrows crashing into the ground the very next second. _He's quick too,_ thought Ishida to himself. _This guy's definitely on a vice-captain level at the very least. Even with me and Kurosaki, I'm not sure if we can-._

"AHHHHH!"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as a large lunar-shaped energy wave came speeding towards him from Ichigo's direction. _What the-!_ He quickly bent down and sprung up into the air just in time to avoid the attack. As he landed back on the ground, he glanced at his right to see the wave of energy colliding into a building around twenty feet away, completely devastating a good portion of it.

_That attack couldn't have come anywhere but from a captain-leveled Zanpakuto,_ said Naruto to himself as he observed the aftermath of the attack. _This Ichigo's reiryoku is almost on a captain's level, his Zanpakuto is strong enough to be considered a captain's, and he's strong enough to go head-to-head with a vice-captain._

…Breathing heavily from his spot, Ichigo wiped a smear of blood from above his eye as he glared hard at Naruto. Taking up a fighting stance, he shifted his foot back as he held his Zanpakuto out in front of him.

Naruto glanced at Ichigo and then at Ishida who was on his right, his bow at the ready.

"Okay… Round two."

_To be continued…_

* * *

**Sorry for the iffy chapter, but I was busy with college and all that stuff. I know it might've not been that good, but thanks for reading.**

**If there's anything you liked or disliked, feel free to leave a review.**


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